KIDMAN'S ROLE IN THE READER TO BE RECAST

LATEST: NICOLE KIDMAN's withdrawal from post-World War II drama THE READER has been made official after the news was confirmed by a studio spokesperson.

The Oscar-winning actress was due to start shooting the big-screen adaptation of German author Bernhard Schlink's 1995 book with director Stephen Daldry later this month (Jan08) - but was rumoured to have pulled out of the project after learning of her pregnancy.

Claims Kidman had quit the movie were initially dismissed by the production company behind the film, with spokesman Matthew Frankel saying, "I am being told that the status on 'The Reader' has not changed."

But a representative for Studio Babelsberg, near Berlin, Germany, now admits: "The part will be recast."

Kidman announced on Monday (07Jan08) that she is expecting her first child with country music star husband Keith Urban. The 40-year-old Australian beauty already has two adopted children, Isabella, 14, and Conor, 12, with ex-husband Tom Cruise.